God's in His Heaven
by Helena Mira
Summary: The storm is over and all is peaceful for the Everetts. Now the rest of the family has the opportunity to meet the new baby and everyone will find out what happened outside the house during the storm.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own these characters and make no profit from their use._

**God's in His Heaven**

**Prologue**

Hal was relieved when all of the others left first their bedroom and then the house. It was no longer a delivery room, but their own bedroom. It was their own private space once more. He appreciated the willingness of the family to stay with them through the blackout to be present for the birth. He knew that it meant a great deal to his wife to have them there. He also had a feeling that there was some kind of symbolic significance to each person there. He was hopeful that either Mother or Phoebe could explain it to him.

Since everyone was gone, he felt comfortable changing into his nightclothes. But before he did that, he wanted to wash up a little. It had been a very long two days. He had showered that morning, but after heavily sweating for the past few hours he felt pretty grungy. He was hoping that tomorrow they would be able to open the windows and air the room out.

By the time he was done and returned to the bed, he discovered that Phoebe and Maisie were both sleeping. He slipped into bed beside her and then maneuvered his arm behind her. She barely noticed, but nevertheless snuggled closer to him. Maisie gave a little yawn, but then cuddled a little closer to her Mommy. He wondered how long they would sleep before the baby woke up hungry.

He really wasn't tired at all. In fact, he was still exhilarated by the experience of watching his daughter literally enter the world. He felt almost foolish now because of his initial reluctance. The process had not made him feel squeamish at all. In fact, the only emotion that he felt was pure joy.

While Phoebe was in pain, he did not feel as helpless as he thought he would. In fact once the active contractions started, he didn't have time to think about it. He was able to hold her up, encourage her to push, and then help her to breathe. It was something that they were doing together, as a team. Since he had "done his part," so to speak, on the other end, it was only fair that he stuck around for the grand finale.

She was intensely focused each time she had to push. In fact, the midwife had to calm her down at one point. She had become too tense to make any progress. But when the baby was ready to come, she came. And as she passed into the Mrs. Morgan's hands it looked so easy. And with that, the pain was over.

His fears had been based on watching Helen pass away, wracked in a pain from which there was no relief. There was no way that he could do anything to mitigate her suffering. There were no encouraging words to offer, only words of comfort. His mother had been right. Helen's suffering had only passed when she moved from this world into the next. When Phoebe's suffering ended, she was able to hold a new life in her arms.

He knew that he would never forget the feeling of that squirmy, squalling little red thing, still wet with fluid as Mrs. Morgan held her for him to cut the umbilical cord. Then there was the joyous moment when he presented her to her mother, his wife. She was the symbol of their love and devotion to one another. Phoebe wept as she cradled her in her arms. It felt like a sacred moment.

It was at that moment that he truly appreciated her great desire for a home birth. He knew that in a brightly lit, hospital delivery room where she was barely awake, she would have missed those precious moments. He had not experienced this with any of the other children. He remembered first seeing Helen, who was barely awake, lying in bed in the maternity ward. Then he walked over to the brightly lit nursery where a nurse would hold up "Baby Everett" wrapped in a blue or pink blanket.

As they were filling out the paperwork, Mrs. Morgan had commented that the darkened room had probably made Maisie's entrance into the world much less traumatic for her than a hospital birth. He looked down in his arms where Phoebe lay peacefully sleeping, a faint smile on her face. And little Maisie was swaddled and comfortable looking in her mother's arms.

Before she had been able to hold her again, she had given Mother the honor of holding her. The tears in Mother's eyes told the story of her own emotions. It had been a couple of months before she and Dad had been able to really get that close to the other children. In fairness however, none of them, not even Helen and himself, had had this kind of experience. Trelawney was beaming with joy. In fact she very nearly glowed. Emmeline looked relieved, but Tom's reaction was the most interesting of all.

He seemed stunned by what he had just witnessed and then assumed a gesture of prayer. He could not even imagine why. In so many ways he was an enigma. From the day he met her, he had shown nothing but kindness to Phoebe and fond amusement towards Trelawney. His gracious acceptance of his new wife and then his determination to bring his own recalcitrant wife around to accepting her had made Phoebe very happy.

He had offered himself as a grandfather and was now a godfather to the little girl, the half-sibling of his grandchildren. He knew that Tom was protective of Trelawney, knowing that it was her tenacity and love for Phoebe that had ultimately converted (that was the only word for it) Bernice.

That had opened the door for both of them to become a more integral part of their grandchildren's lives. Yet all of these wonderful moments had only occurred because Helen, his only daughter, had passed away. The only word that there was to describe it was bittersweet. No doubt his emotions were a mixture of the joy of welcome a new life and sadness for the one that he had personally lost.

He now faced something of a dilemma of his own. He truly wanted Trelawney to return to his home. He knew that both she and Phoebe would only be completely content when they were living together again. And instinctively, he knew that Maisie needed and wanted her there as well. But he also knew that Mother would be very upset to lose the little girl who she had come to think of as the daughter she never had. The transition would need to be carefully thought out so that no one would be hurt.

He hoped that they would get their telephone service back soon so that they could call Hal. Perhaps if they didn't they could find someone who still had power. He couldn't imagine that the whole town was blacked out. Tomorrow Butch and Prudence would be back home, he from Tim's house and she when she returned with Bernice from their outing.

Then there were other family and friends who would want to see the baby. He was afraid that Phoebe would be overwhelmed by the attention. It occurred to him that if Maisie had been born in the hospital, then she and Phoebe would have been there at least until Wednesday. Perhaps they could stagger some of the visitors and ask others to wait. Phoebe would still be very tired and he didn't want her to become too exhausted to enjoy her first days of motherhood.

But of course he had to be careful not to say that in front of the other kids. They had viewed her as their mother for almost a year now. It would be impossible to explain to them, except for Hal, that Phoebe's relationship with Maisie, as her mother, was going to be different from her relationship with them. He hoped that the intense nature of childcare for an infant would obscure some of that knowledge n the beginning.

**Mum and Daddy**

Hal sat thinking and turning things over in his mind for a couple of hours. Then a little cooing sound broke into his thoughts. He looked down and saw Maisie starting to wake up. She was turning towards Phoebe with her mouth opening and closing. And then she let out a wail. Phoebe woke up and looked down.

"She's rooting, Hal," she said sleepily. "It's time to get Mrs. Morgan."

But Hal had only put on his robe, when the nurse came in. He figured that her years as a nurse had given her supersonic hearing.

"There you are, Phoebe," she said. "Now she's hungry and it's time for you two to start learning how to nurse together. It may be the most natural thing in the world, but everyone needs a little help in the beginning."

Phoebe nodded. She was now fully awake. Hal was curious about what would happen next. Phoebe opened the hospital robe.

"Now, you need to guide her mouth to the breast so that she can latch on," she said. "Once she grasps the nipple, she will know instinctively what to do to make the milk begin flowing. If she latches on correctly, you will feel it."

Hal watched in fascination as Phoebe guided the little rosebud mouth to the delicate pink nipple. As Mrs. Morgan had said, Maisie latched on immediately and he could see her drinking. He had a feeling that if she wasn't, they would hear about it. He recalled Uncle David's words that it was the most beautiful sight in the world. He was right.

He also found himself looking at his wife's breasts in a new way. Previously, he had derived a great deal of pleasure from them when making love to her, especially since she had become pregnant and they grew larger. He realized that he would be abdicating his exclusive rights to them to his youngest daughter for the next few months.

Reading his thoughts, Phoebe whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll share."

Looking at the little one who was sucking eagerly and had reached up to grasp her mother's breast, he thought that she didn't look like she planned on sharing, but he didn't care.

"You two have caught on right away," said Mrs. Morgan approvingly. "Now of course you know that there can be no bottles until she really gets used to this. It's easiest if you just keep her with you all the time so that you can feed her when she needs you. Breast milk doesn't fill the baby up as much as formula. When she's large enough, you can put her on a feeding schedule."

"I don't think that will be a problem," said Hal ruefully. "I do have some regrets about the bottles."

"I'm sorry, I know that it is disappointing for the new father to hear that, but despite the fact that nursing is the most natural thing in the world, the baby must learn how to suck properly. It is much easier to suck from the nipple of a bottle than from the mother's breast. If the baby becomes too comfortable with the bottle she may never become comfortable at the breast," she further explained.

Maisie seemed blithely unaware of what was happening around her. She was sucking and gazing contentedly into the eyes of her mother. Phoebe cuddled the child closer and kissed the little head. Hal suspected that she was only barely aware of what Mrs. Morgan was telling her.

"That's it," said the nurse. "While she is small, you will have to frequently nurse her. As I said before, if you can keep her with you at all times, that will be best. The more frequently you nurse her right now, the faster your milk will come in. For the first few days you will actually be giving her colostum, which is a nutritious fluid that infants can only get from their mothers. There is no formula that can provide the nutrients and antibodies that the mother's own colostum can. She will be a healthier baby for it."

Hal watched in fascination as the baby sucked. This was just another new experience for him. He remembered how after he had spoken to Helen and seen the baby he had gone home from the hospital. He knew that Helen had only gotten to see the baby when it needed a bottle or if she asked. But seeing what Phoebe had described in person, he understood how wonderful it was to have the child with them both from the first moments of life.

"Another advantage to nursing is that generally speaking, nursing mothers don't get pregnant," added the nurse. "It will save you the trouble of dealing with birth control later."

Hal looked at Phoebe a little anxiously. He recalled thinking in the heat of labor how he had wondered if she would ever let him touch her again. But she smiled softly back at him. He knew that there would be more children after Maisie.

However as Hal watched her looking down at the little miracle who had been born only hours before, he knew that this one was special to her, perhaps even more than any others who might follow. It was really her first child. And things would never be the same again.

As close as she was to the other children, carrying this one for nine months, as she herself had said "close to her heart" he knew that they shared a special bond that even he was outside of. He didn't mind. For all the love and happiness that she had brought into his home, this little person that they had created together was his living gift to her of his own love. It was his long promised wedding gift.

The nurse looked pleased. "You two really have caught on quickly. You will discover that there is a hormonal release every time that you nurse. You will find yourself as contented as your child. But you must be careful to nurse her from the other side the next time she is hungry. Some women use a small ribbon to indicate to themselves which side they need to nurse from next. You need to be very careful to alternate sides. If you aren't careful, when your milk comes in the ducts can get blocked. That is very painful."

Phoebe didn't even look up. She was completely enthralled by the little bundle in her arms. Hal could see that as she felt the milk or whatever it was flowing from her breast into the child that a sense of peace had fallen over her. In a moment, the little girl let go and with a deep sigh, snuggled close to her mother again and fell asleep. Now all was peaceful and calm. Hal could see that Phoebe's eyelids were growing heavy again and he came to take the little bundle from her arms.

"Daddy's turn, Mommy needs to go to sleep," he said with a smile.

"Hal," she said before she drifted off. "I want her to call me Mum, like I called my own mother."

He understood and peeking at the little pink face said, "Hey little angel, time to let your Mum sleep for a bit."

Phoebe smiled and closed her eyes. She had had a long night. Hal looked down at the little angel in his arms and realized that he was growing weary as well. But he had really not had any chance to hold his new daughter himself. He sat down in the rocking chair that they had bought for this room. Mrs. Morgan nodded and left the room. Now alone with his little girl he began to think again.

He had forgotten how tiny newborns were. He knew that she would be reddish for the first few days and then have the pale pink and white complexion of her mother. Her hair was so fair that she almost looked bald. But if any of the other children had anything to say about that, all he had to do was pull out their baby pictures. Little towheads always looked bald before their hair grew in. She had the same vivid blue eyes that they all did.

He reached down to pick up one little hand gently and marveled as he always did at the perfect little fingernails. Yes, she was like the others, but in some ways she was not. It would be interesting to see how the other children responded to the idea that Maisie would call Phoebe Mum. It was a natural thing that Phoebe would want her to call her by the same name that she had called her own mother. Probably only Prudence would mind.

He was still unsure of how Prudence would react to the reality of having a baby sister. Having Trelawney move back home would no doubt help with that. Of course with Trelawney starting a new school and her own absorption with the baby, Prudence still might be dissatisfied. Trelawney had a fundamentally different relationship with Maisie.

She was her aunt and would no doubt become her favorite aunt. And Trelawney had two very good role models of "aunts" in Emmeline and Sylvia. Well, they might be cousins, but age wise they were more like aunts. Considering the expansive Figalilly clan, they probably didn't worry much about titles and relationships like that.

But now he was ready for bed himself. Holding the peacefully sleeping child had finally calmed his own mind. She was just as beautiful as her mother. He suspected that she would share her intuitions. It was going to be very interesting to watch her grow up. He then walked the baby over to the cradle that Phoebe's father had built for her when she was born and gently laid her inside.

The child seemed aware of the significance of her new bed. Rather than crying at being laid down to sleep, as his other children had done, she nestled into the little mattress, facing her mother. Seeing that Phoebe was lying on her side that was facing the cradle, he smiled. The first sight that she would see when she awoke was that of her infant daughter sleeping there. Or more likely, looking at her and wailing. Then he got into bed himself and took his wife in his arms, careful to keep her facing the cradle. He recalled Trelawney's words of a few hours ago.

"God's in His heaven, all's right in the world."

She was right.

_To be continued . . ._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Glorious Morning**

Sylvia Figalilly woke up to find the sun streaming in through the windows of Trelawney's bedroom. She realized that the child was no longer holding her hand. She reached over, but realized that the girl was gone from the bed. Sitting up, she looked around and saw her sitting in front of the dollhouse that her Papa had made for her. Sylvia knew that it was her way of understanding the world around her to play with the dolls. But she was motionless.

Sylvia knew that presently she would play with the house with no one other than Phoebe. When her Mum was alive, she would play with her when Phoebe was away. Sometimes she played by herself, taking the parts of both dolls. But now that Maisie was born, she wondered what would happen. It might be a while before Phoebe would be able to play with her again, especially when school started. Then she remembered something.

"Trelawney, love," she said. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," she said, without turning around. "I was just looking at Mimsy and Tansy. I am not sure that they know what to make of things."

"Give me a minute, love," she said. "I have something for you."

But Trelawney didn't move. Her eyes never left the two dolls who were now sleeping in the beds. Sylvia went back to her room and opened her luggage. Before she had left home, her mother had insisted that she pick up the gift up for the child in London.

She had been very specific as to what it must be. Auntie Meg had left her a letter telling her when it would need to be bought. In fact, she even told her where to buy it. Mum had told her to do her best to give it to Trelawney as close to Maisie's birth as possible. Knowing her Mum, she had probably figured out months ago that she would be here. She returned to Trelawney and sat beside her.

"Here, love," she said gently, giving her the neatly wrapped little box. "Your Auntie Anna has sent this for you. It's really a gift from your Mum. She left a letter. She wanted to make sure that when you needed it, you would have it."

For the first time, Trelawney looked at her with wide blue eyes. She accepted the box and smiled.

"Is this?" she asked hopefully, as she turned it carefully over in her hands.

"Yes, it is, little one," she answered. "Now open it and see for yourself."

Trelawney carefully untied the ribbon and opened the paper on the box. Then she took the figure of a little girl doll out and turned it around to look at her.

"This is quite perfect," she said seriously. "Auntie Anna was most kind to send her to me."

"Your Auntie Anna loves you very much, you know," replied Sylva. "So tell me, who is she?"

"This is Daisy," said the girl seriously. She took the two dolls in the house and seated them at the table in the dining room. Then she placed the new doll in the house with the other two.

"Mimsy, Tansy," she said. "This is Daisy. She has come to live with you. You must be sure to take good care of her."

Then she listened intently. She turned and smiled at Sylvia.

"They are very happy that she is here," she said. "They have been waiting ever so long for her to come."

"Yes.I know, love," she replied with tears in her eyes. "We all have."

Then Trelawney reached over and gave Sylvia a hug.

"Thank you so much, Sylvia," she said. "I am very grateful that you have come to be with us at this time. Phoebe and I have been most in need of you, although Phoebe does not know it yet. But don't worry about Liam and the boys. They are fine."

"How do you know that?" asked Sylvia slowly. She remembered their conversation last night, when Trelawney had told her that the unicorn was dead.

Trelawney stood up and walked to the window. She looked out and then turned around and smiled.

"The storm is quite over," she announced. "There is great damage, but our boys are all well. We are safe now."

"Trelawney," said Sylvia even more slowly. "Can you please explain?"

But Trelawney stood up very straight, with her hands neatly folded in front of her. The light from the window behind her shone on her golden blonde hair. She spoke as if in a dream. Her aura began to glow a very deep purple.

"The premonition was wrong," she said. "The light _has _defeated the dark. Liam stood up to the darkness bravely. He refused to let it conquer him. He came to the light. I helped him come to the light. The rest of the predictions have come true, but Liam and I made sure that there was no harm. It is over. It is really and truly over."

"Can you tell me how?" asked Sylvia.

"No," she said shaking her head. "It is not allowed. We will only learn of these things in their right time and proper order. But there is no more reason to be afraid. Maisie has come and all is well."

Then, before her very eyes, the girl shifted her affect.

"I believe that if we go downstairs, Mama Kate will have breakfast ready for us," she said happily. "I am quite famished."

And off she went skipping to find her breakfast. Sylvia heaved a sigh of relief and then looked out at the sky herself. Gone were the billowing black clouds, streaked with red flashes of lightening. In their place was a clear, deep blue. Things were indeed very peaceful. She was hoping against hope that the child was right and that Liam had not surrendered to the darkness.

The sun was shining very brightly on the masses of tree limbs that seemed to be all over. She could not see any trees down. However looking out the front of the house, it appeared that the tree with the tree house had lost one of its largest limbs. It was one of those supporting the house. It had fallen and was now lying half in the street.

The good news was that the city had already sent men out to work on cleaning up the debris. She could hear the chainsaws that would no doubt be buzzing loudly all day. She hoped that they had started with the limb in front of the Professor's house. That way the power and phone companies could deal with the downed lines. She looked at the clock and noticed that it was ten already. That was not too surprising, considering how tired they had all been when they had returned home.

When she got downstairs, she noticed that Trelawney was eating a bowl of cold cereal and chattering away like any other normal twelve-year-old. The little mystic of a few minutes ago had vanished. Elspeth was back in her usual spot underneath her chair.

"Good morning, Sylvia," said Catherine cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, I did," she replied brightly. "And yourself?"

Catherine gave her a brilliant smile. Of course she had. The much prayed for child had safely entered the world. She wondered where Tom and Rob were. Trelawney answered for her.

"They are out in the driveway clearing the mess from behind the Professor's car," she said. "Fortunately, there was no damage to the car."

"Yes," said Catherine. "And once they've done that, they'll be going over to Lois's to pick up Butch. Thank goodness for batteries! According to the radio, they have power over there. Rob is hoping that he will be able to use Lois's phone to call up Hal so that he can know that he has another little sister."

"Hal will be glad to know that," affirmed Trelawney. "I know that he was most worried about Phoebe before he left. Butch, I am afraid, will not be pleased. He has been kicking up quite a fuss since Phoebe became pregnant about not wanting another annoying little sister."

"Yes, he has," agreed Catherine. "But Prudence will surely be thrilled. I wonder when they will get home? I am glad that Bernice had the common sense to stay put rather than running any risks in the storm."

"Once they get home," commented Trelawney. "There will be no keeping her away from Phoebe and Maisie. I wonder how she and the Professor will feel about that."

"I'm not sure," replied Catherine. "They won't want to hurt her feelings. I'm sure that Mrs. Clancy will be gone by then. Mrs. Morgan is not likely to stand up to her if she starts to be a pest."

"No, but Em will," said Sylvia. "Have any of you been down there yet."

"No, we have decided to leave them alone for now. I would not be surprised if they, Hal, Phoebe, and the baby, that is," Catherine responded. "Were still sleeping. Emmeline is no doubt up. I wonder about Francine and Mrs. Fowler though."

"Oh, it is quite safe for them to go home," replied Trelawney. "The unicorn has been quite defeated."

There was silence. Sylvia shot Trelawney a warning glance. She looked back at her and shrugged.

"How do you know that?" asked Catherine.

"I don't know how I know it," said Trelawney nonchalantly. "I just know it. But you can be sure that they will both want to go home. They were both quite bemused by all the activity last night, even though I had told Francine all about it before. And Waldo will be most unhappy if he finds Fifi there."

"Well," said Catherine. "After breakfast, why don't we go down and return Waldo. Then you can tell the Fowlers they can go home. If you're done eating, why don't you get dressed in other clothes? And please try to brush out your hair. It is quite a tangle. You can wait until tonight to take a bath. Hopefully the power will be back by then and we will have hot water again."

"Okay," she said cheerfully and left the room, with Elspeth at her heels.

"She's still as puzzling as ever," said Catherine.

"She always will be," replied Sylvia. "That is something about her that will never change. She told me earlier that we needed to wait to learn things at the right time and in their proper order. I must admit that I am a bit surprised that she hasn't already been down the street."

"She told me when she came down that although she was most eager to see the baby, she did not want to intrude on Phoebe and Hal's privacy," commented Catherine. "I am sure that when we go down, that she won't go up to see the baby unless they don't mind. She will probably ask first."

"As always, Trelawney is thinking of others ahead of herself," said Sylvia fondly. "That will never change either. Although I have no doubt that her Mum has her well trained from when Christabel had her babies. Auntie Meg was always thinking of others also. Think of what _she _must have been like when she was the same age as Prudence and bursting with curiosity.

"But to change the subject, I am hoping the phone is restored soon so that I can call Mum and Dad. They will take care of letting the rest of the family know. Everyone has been most anxious and you can be sure that such a bizarre storm as we had last night will be all over the news today. Perhaps even the international news."

"David did say that he hoped that they could be here for the christening," said Catherine. "Emmeline is godmother of course, but apparently your mother would like to visit with the girls."

"Well, that will take a bit of discussing," replied Sylvia. "He said that before he knew that Christabel was to have her baby in October. Normally that would be the time when Maisie would be christened. There's no way that they would ever leave Christy alone at that time. If Phoebe wants them here, then she would have to agree to put it off for at least a month. But it is her decision."

"Well," said Catherine. "We can discuss that later. It's too early to be setting dates now."

"Of course," smiled Sylvia. "I was just mentioning it because I might forget later. At the end of the week, as I told Phoebe, I will be on my way to Toronto. And I would like to be home for Christy myself."

"But you're also right about telling family," she said. "Once we get the telephone service back, we will have to call Ben and Bob. I don't believe that you've met them."

Sylvia gave her a mischievous grin.

"No, but I've heard all about them from Emmeline," she commented. "But don't look worried. Lewis told me as well, so I have a more balanced view. The Figalillys will not soon forget how they stepped up to help keep the little one with her Phoebe. That means a lot more to them than Em's foolishness."

"That's good to know," said Catherine. "They really do care about them. Rob told me about the security guards."

"So then he's told you it all?" she asked.

Catherine nodded.

"It was wonderful that you were able to keep the information out of the house," she replied. "It was difficult enough with the lights out. We didn't need any other stressors. And because of it, we were all able to truly enjoy the experience."

"Yes," agreed Sylvia. "I am glad that you could. I was present for the birth of Christabel's two babies. It really is a miracle to see the new life come into the world. After all that she's been through in the past year and a half, Phoebe deserves every bit of happiness that's coming her way. There will always be things to be worked out, but now that she has her own little one to love and care for, perhaps she can really begin to move away from her grief."

"I hope so," said Catherine. "Once again changing the subject. Rob told me that Liam was here but had gone missing. Any idea of where he might be?"

"No," replied Sylvia. "But knowing him, he's fine."

"I'm almost ready Mama Kate," sang out Trelawney, coming back into the room. "Can you please help me finish my hair?"

"I'll do that," answered Sylvia.

Trelawney sat beside her and then turned her back to her. She had done a fairly good job herself, but there was a part that she couldn't easily reach. While her hair was not very curly, it was wavy enough to get tangled at this length. When properly brushed it fell in long soft curls like Phoebe's.

"Trelawney," she commented as she gently pulled the brush through. "You realize that your hair is nearly waist length. It may be time to cut off a few inches."

But Trelawney said nothing in reply. She simply sat, swinging her legs back and forth under the chair and humming to herself. Sylvia looked up at Catherine who just shook her head. When her hair was brushed out, she neatly braided it in two plaits. As soon as she was finished, Trelawney whirled around and gave her a big kiss on the cheek to say thank you. Then she ran out of the room.

"We're ready to leave, Mama Kate!" she cried out when she returned with Waldo. "Waldo is quite pleased to be returning home."

She had put the leash on the dog and he did look very pleased to be on his way. Sylvia told Catherine that she would finish cleaning up so that they could leave immediately. She looked at them through the window as they left. Catherine was briskly walking along and Trelawney was skipping along as Waldo trotted beside her. They all looked very happy.

As she turned to start the clean up, she wondered when she would see Liam again. Trelawney had said that he was safe, but it was odd that he hadn't come home last night. Of course without phone service, it was impossible for him to call to tell them where he had spent the night. She sighed. She guessed that she would just have to wait for her wayward brother to return home. She had feeling that he wouldn't be long. He was probably waiting for everyone else to leave the house.

**The Morning After**

Once that they arrived down at Hal's, Catherine could see that Francine and her mother had already left. However, she also noticed that the police were next door. They seemed to be cleaning something up. Emmeline greeted them.

"Good morning, you two," she said pleasantly. "Did you both sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you," said Catherine. "What is going on next door?"

"It's nothing for us to be worried about now," replied Emmeline. "I am sure that we will know in good time, but for now we'll mind our own business."

"Yes, Em," said Trelawney seriously. "We will. What does the backyard look like? Are the animals all okay?"

"Yes, they are," replied Emmeline. "A lot of branches came down but none of the cages were damaged. They are still a bit shell shocked from the experience."

"I imagine that they would be," she responded, looking very serious.

Emmeline slightly inclined her head to acknowledge something about what she had said. And that she did not want her to say any more. But Catherine had more important things on her mind than the family pets.

"How are Hal and Phoebe doing?" asked Catherine. "And of course my newest grandchild?"

Mrs. Morgan, who had come down stairs answered.

"The baby woke up around four am and was hungry, so Phoebe nursed her," she replied as if giving some kind of official report. "They did very well together for a first time. The baby woke up a second time about an hour ago and nursed again. They are both sleeping again, but Hal is up. He will be down soon and I am sure that he will be hungry."

"Don't worry," said Emmeline. "I will be ready for him. Not that there is anything that he can have other than cold cereal and juice until we get the power back."

"Then it will be a while before Phoebe and Maisie are awake again," said Trelawney clearly disappointed. "I wouldn't want to disturb them."

She obviously couldn't care less about Hal or his breakfast. The only people that she was interested in now were her sister and niece. Mrs. Morgan looked at her sympathetically.

"I know that you can be a very quiet little girl," she said. "And it is kind of you to think of your sister. When Hal comes down you may go up and have a peek. So can you, Mrs. Everett."

Trelawney gave Mrs. Morgan a conspiratorial look.

"Is the old dragon gone?" she whispered.

"Yes, she is," replied Mrs. Morgan with a smile. "But for now the dog stays down here."

Waldo whimpered and went out of the room.

"He'll get over it," commented Catherine. "At least he's back in the house."

"Is Maisie sleeping in the cradle?" asked Trelawney.

"Yes, she is," answered Mrs. Morgan. "It's beautifully made. Phoebe was in tears earlier when she woke up and saw her in there."

"My Papa made that cradle," said Trelawney proudly. "Both Phoebe and I slept in it. Uncle David brought it over from England in February. Maisie must be very happy with it."

"It's hard to tell," said Hal, coming down the stairs. "Every time she wakes up she's crying. Right now only her Mum will do. However, unlike three other little babies I knew, she never cries when I put her down in there."

"You're looking well, son," said Catherine. "Considering your own lack of sleep."

"I'm feeling well," he replied. "It's been so long since Prudence was born, that I had forgotten what it was like to be a new Dad. And I didn't see any of the other child born. _And _Helen didn't nurse, she used bottles."

"That's a lot of firsts for you son," said Catherine. "Do you think that it will be okay if Trelawney and I went up for a little peek?"

"That won't be a problem," he said. "You're both very quiet. The problems will start when Prudence gets home."

"Why is that?" asked Mrs. Morgan sharply.

"Prudence is likely to be, shall we say, a little enthusiastic," replied Trelawney.

"Oh," she said thoughtfully.

Catherine followed Trelawney up the stairs. From the doorway they could see Phoebe and Maisie sleeping. Phoebe was sleeping in the bed facing the cradle and Maisie was sleeping in the cradle facing the bed. Trelawney caught her breath. Catherine saw tears form in her eyes and slip down her cheeks, but when she looked up at her, her face was lit up like the sun.

Catherine put her arm around her more tightly. She felt it too. Though mother and child were sleeping, they were both very much aware of each other's presence and were clearly at peace. They looked for a few more minutes and then returned downstairs. They went back to the kitchen to find Hal eating.

"Would you like some juice?" asked Emmeline. "Or milk. I'm afraid that we're very limited in what we can offer you until we get the power back."

"That's fine," said Catherine. "We just ate."

Trelawney wandered into the backyard to look at the animals.

Mrs. Morgan then announced, "I'm going to take a nap myself while mother and baby are sleeping. I haven't been to bed yet."

"I'll help you change the sheets on the bed that Mrs. Clancy was using," said Emmeline. "You don't have any problem with us bunking in the boys' room for a few days, do you Hal?"

"I hadn't thought about it," said Hal. "Mother, you wouldn't mind if Butch stayed with you until they leave, would you?"

"Not at all," said Catherine with a smile. "I am sure that he will only be too happy to stay with us for a few days. In fact, we may have trouble getting him to leave."

"That's very true," said Hal. "He will not be happy to know that he has another sister. And I believe that he finds the whole idea of Phoebe nursing the baby gross."

"Well," said Mrs. Morgan. "He better get used to it. In a couple of days when Phoebe is up and around, I am sure that she will find herself nursing in a couple of different places in the house."

"I did," said Catherine. "It was easier than having to keep going back to the bedroom every time that the baby was hungry."

"In the village, the Mums nurse their babies everywhere," said Trelawney coming in. "Not just at home. It's quite a common sight. But it's not like that in America. I wonder what Phoebe will do when she has to go out. The animals are all fine and happy now. It was a wild night for them but they survived. When is Hal coming home? I am sure that at least _he _will be happy to see the baby."

"He comes home on Saturday, sweetie," said Hal.

Catherine and Hal smiled at the way that she jumped from topic to topic. Emmeline rolled her eyes. Mrs. Morgan looked at her indulgently. She knew that Trelawney was special, but Catherine could see that she was glad that she was very thoughtful with regard to her sister. No doubt about it, she understood the behavioral expectations from the times when her cousin Christabel had had her babies. She was looking forward to meeting Anna Figalilly. She sounded like a very nice woman.

After the two women went upstairs, Trelawney plopped herself down in a kitchen chair. She sat there, chattering and happily swinging her legs. Catherine had never seen her so vivacious. In fact the way she flitted from topic to topic was like a little sparrow hopping around. It wasn't easy to keep up with her. But fortunately, she wasn't expecting any responses. She and Hal just had to listen and nod occasionally. They shared a happy glance. Suddenly she stopped and looked alert.

"Uh, oh," said Trelawney.

Within seconds they heard the front door open, sound of feet running up the stairs, and then the baby crying.

"I do believe that Prudence is home," said Trelawney.

"I'll go up," said Catherine immediately rising from the table. But she hadn't even gotten near the door when Emmeline came in and marched Prudence over to the table and sternly told her to sit down. Prudence sat down, folded her arms across her chest, and pouted. Before anyone else could say anything, Bernice walked in quickly and out of breath.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But as soon as Sylvia told us that the baby was born and it was a girl, Prudence went flying down the street. I just can't walk as fast as I used to. From what I can hear, I gather that she woke up the baby."

Little Maisie was still crying upstairs. Emmeline looked at Prudence with strict disapproval.

"Prudence, you cannot just run into the bedroom making all that noise," she scolded. "You have to make sure that the baby is awake and your Mommy is ready for visitors."

"I wasn't loud!" Prudence contradicted her, with a touch of freshness in her voice.

"I could hear you from down the stairs," she replied. "You managed to wake up Maisie, your Mommy, and Mrs. Morgan. Your Mommy has had a very long two days and Mrs. Morgan had been awake since about two am yesterday. Tiny babies need a lot of sleep."

Prudence stuck out her lower lip, but didn't say anything. Catherine could see that she was miffed by the changes that were clearly going to take place in the house now. She was no longer the pampered youngest child whose whims would always be indulged. Catherine looked at Bernice, who never liked to hear any criticism of Prudence, but she was surprised by her response

"Prudence, come over here," she said kindly, having caught her breath from chasing her granddaughter down the street. Prudence grudgingly sat down in the chair beside her and Bernice put her arm around her.

"I think that you have to realize, honey," she continued. "That most babies are not born at home. If your Mommy had had the baby in the hospital like other Mommies then she would still be there. In fact she would probably be there for a couple of more days."

"Why is that?" asked Prudence.

"Well, after the baby is born, both the mother and baby are very tired," she explained. "They stay in the hospital so that they can rest up. Mrs. Morgan is a nurse, so she staying to keep an eye on your Mommy to make sure that everything is okay."

"And Emmeline," Hal added. "Is staying here to help with the cooking and the housework so that Mommy doesn't have to get out of bed. In a week or so then she'll be up again and things will be back to normal."

"Okay," said Prudence slowly.

"And," Bernice continued soothingly. "If your Mommy and the baby were in the hospital, then you would not be able to see them at all until they came home.

"Neither could me or Butch or Hal," affirmed Trelawney. "You have to be older or they won't let you in. That's one of the reasons why Phoebe wanted to have Maisie at home, because she would have missed you all."

"Oh," said Prudence now understanding. "But I thought that the baby's name was going to be Margaret."

"It is," said Hal. "Her official name is Margaret Mary Everett. But we're going to call her Maisie for short. That's what your Mommy wanted."

"Did you see them this morning?" asked Prudence, satisfied with the name explanation. After all, Butch's name was really Bentley.

"Mrs. Morgan let Trelawney and I go up and have a peek," explained Catherine. "But we couldn't go into the room and we had to be very quiet."

"Can I have a peek?" asked Prudence. "I can be very quiet."

"We'll discuss it when Mrs. Morgan wakes up, okay?" said Hal.

"Okay," answered Prudence. "Where is Butch?"

"Butch got bored very quickly at my house," responded Catherine. "So Grampie asked if he could spend the night at Tim Lenihan's house. Grampie and Papa have probably gone to pick him up."

"They have," Bernice affirmed. "Sylvia was alone when we got there. She told me that they were hoping to call Hal from Lois's since they have power. I didn't have the chance to learn anything else because I had to chase a certain little girl down the street."

Prudence giggled.

"You're lucky you didn't break your neck," commented Hal. "How is the city doing with the clean up?"

"Pretty well," she said. "I noticed a couple of trucks out there to repair the power and phone lines."

"Oh good!" said Catherine. "When we get the phone back we can call Ben and Bob. Sylvia wants to call David."

"May I please call Pastor Jason?" asked Trelawney.

"Yes, of course," said Catherine. "He will want to know about the baby."

"Oh, he knows about the baby," said Trelawney. "I have something else that I need to talk with him about."

There was silence.

"Trelawney, love," said Emmeline. "You and I need to have a little chat, alone."

"Oh, no," she said. "Did I do it again?"

But rather than answer, Emmeline took her hand and walked her quickly out of the room.

"Emmeline's having a busy morning," commented Hal.

"What did she mean about doing it again?" asked Bernice, now puzzled.

Catherine looked at Hal. Neither of them knew what to say.

"Trelawney knows things that nobody else knows," said Prudence. "She's not supposed to tell them, but sometimes she forgets. Mommy talked to her about it."

"Is that anything like the way that you forget and tattle?" asked Catherine meaningfully.

"Yeah, kind . . ." started Prudence. "Oops! I did it again. I . . ."

"Forgot," finished Hal. "The two of you make quite a pair. Once school starts, I hope that your memories improve or neither of you will be very happy when report card time comes."

Emmeline and Trelawney returned to the kitchen. The girl was more subdued.

"Prudence," she said. "Why don't you get Sally and you two can play with Tessa and me at Mama Kate's house. That way we won't disturb Phoebe and the baby."

"Okay," said Prudence. Then she stopped.

"May I take a peek at Mommy and the baby when I go up to get my dolly?"

"Yes, dear," said Catherine. "I'll take you up."

But when they returned downstairs, Prudence looked disappointed.

"The door was closed," said Catherine. "Come on you two mopey faces. Let's go home. When the power comes back on, we'll bake cookies."

"Oh, goodie!" said Prudence, quickly recovering her spirits.

"When Sylvia calls Uncle David, may I speak with him?" asked Trelawney.

"Of, course, dear," replied Catherine. "But let's go back home now. Bernice, are you coming with us? Tom will be home soon and no doubt he is still very tired and wants to go home to rest."

"Yes, I'm sure that he does," said Bernice thoughtfully.

As they walked back up the street both Prudence and Trelawney recovered their high spirits. Catherine was grateful that Trelawney was a little butterfly who didn't brood. And of course, Prudence, at age seven, never really got stuck in bad moods either.

The two little girls, blonde braids bouncing as they skipped along, had forgotten all about the scoldings that they had each gotten. It meant that they would probably not run on too much again, in the near future anyway. Sooner or later they would, no doubt, forget.

_To be continued . . ._


	3. Chapter 3

**The Prodigal Brother**

Shortly after Catherine, Trelawney, and Waldo had left to go down to Phoebe's house, Sylvia heard the car pulling out of the driveway. Tom and Rob were going out to pick up Butch from Tim's house and hopefully make the call to let Hal know that he had another little sister. Then, she heard a knock at the door.

"Hey, Syl!" called out Liam from the other side. "I see that you survived the storm."

"I see that you did as well, brother," she replied. "Where the hell have you been all night?"

"Oh, doing a little unicorn hunting," he answered grinning. "With my two new friends, Topher and Mike."

"So, I heard," she said.

There was silence on Liam's part. Then, "How did you . . ."

"Know?" she finished. "You should have looked around for Waldo before you started to make plans with your new friends. He heard every bit and tattled it just as well as Elspeth might have. What did I tell you about staying out of trouble? The little one told us that the unicorn was defeated last night, and that he's dead in fact. You better not have done what I thought that you've done, or helped out in any way."

"No, Syl," he replied. "Someone else did it for me, one of those security guards that Rob or Bob or whoever Everett hired got him. When the time came, I just couldn't do it. I thought of the little one and all that you had said about breaking her heart and, well, I knew that you were right. So I couldn't do it."

"So then Cholmondeley is gone?" asked Sylvia.

"Gone to meet his maker," confirmed Liam, more gravely. "Almost met Him myself if that security guard hadn't shot the old unicorn first."

Sylvia sat down. "Okay, lad, out with it. You might as well tell me the whole of it."

"Where do you want me to begin?" he asked.

"At the beginning, you bloody idiot!" she growled at him. "Start from the point where you left the house with Mike and Topher."

"Okay," he said, more cheerfully. "When we left here, we went out to get a bite to eat at a diner and we hashed things out. They told me what I didn't know and I told them what they didn't know. The long and the short of it was that we decided to pay a visit to Auntie, since she had started this mess. We figured that if she could tell us where Johnny was, then it would lead us to Cholmondeley."

Sylvia rolled her eyes as he paused to catch his breath. "Keep going."

"Well, we got to Auntie's house just as the storm was getting ready to hit," he explained. "She gave us the same old predictions that she's been spewing forth for months. Only this time around, she made one enormous mistake."

"And what was that?" asked Sylvia skeptically.

"Well, she's going on about the two sisters and the third party being injured by the cousin and then she says, 'unless . . .'" he answered. "That was when I knew that there was a way out, so to speak. And after the 'unless,' old Mike says, 'unless what?' In that blink of an eye I got it though. It was 'unless the unicorn dies.'"

"Oh," said Sylvia slowly. "I'm still not entirely getting it."

"Okay," he said. "Well, I was watching her aura, and at first she was lying. Then, the anger from out there in the cosmos was present in her, you know, the sulphur color. And she said the 'unless' when she was channeling the angry forces, so I knew that she wasn't just flapping gums. It was a real prediction. I knew then that we could take them on and win. But the last aura was the weirdest of all. The evil must have realized that she messed up and said one word too many. She was surrounded by black cloud and flashes of red, just like . . ."

" . . . the storm clouds last night," she finished.

"And you don't know it yet, I guess," he said. "But this here was the worst hit part of the city. Whatever force was trying to interfere was the birth was being foiled. Still and all, I knew that it would make one last effort. So we came out here. Couldn't get into the Professor's yard, so we went through Fowler's. We ran into Cholmondeley between the two yards."

"What time were you there?" she asked. She wanted to confirm what Trelawney had told her last night.

"Right at the time that the baby was coming," he answered. "I could see it from the window, the golden glow and the silvery white stars. No doubt about it, a child of light was born. But then Cholmondeley stepped out. His aura was just like Auntie's, billowing black and red flashes. It was terrible. I've been in many a tight spot, but this was the worst. Especially when I saw the gun."

"He had A GUN?" she said, incredulous.

"Never would have believed it," he replied. "But there it was, just a glint of silver, shining off my light. But I knew what it was all right. Had no weapon myself, except my bared hands, if I could get hold of him. But suddenly, I didn't want to. It wasn't like I really cared about him or anything, but I didn't want his blood on my own hands. First, I tried to talk him out of using it, the gun that is. I told him that Trelawney Rose would forgive him. That she would help all us forgive him. That was just how she was. But whatever he was looking for, it wasn't forgiveness. I tried to tell him to come back to God even.

"Then Topher, fool that he was, after I had told him to stay behind me, came out and tried to tell him to come to the light. _He _wanted him to come back to God too. But the man was crazy, Syl. Pure mad he was. Never said a word to acknowledge that we were there. He had the gun right in my face, he cocked it, and I heard the explosion. I knew that I hadn't gotten, so I thought that Topher did. But he was standing beside me. It was the unicorn dead on the ground."

Sylvia was silent. She thought that she was going to be sick. This was not the way that she had thought that it would end. Of course, none of them had even considered how it might end. Liam looked at her sympathetically. He knew her well enough to realize that the thought of any man dying, even one who had committed a crime as heinous as Cholmondeley had, or even still might have, would be very upsetting to her.

"Syl, he was full of anger and hate," he said, trying to go a bit easier on her sensibilities. "But it wasn't all his own. It was barely even _him_ out there anymore. Whatever demon got a hold of him was furious because Phoebe's baby was born safely. The little one did well. She did her job. I had to do mine. There was probably no way of getting in that house. But I had to free her, and them.

"But it was too hard to think of all the probabilities in the thick of it. If he had somehow got in there, with whatever help he might have been getting from that evil force, who knows who or what he could have shot at. They certainly weren't armed up there. The security guard wasn't aiming to kill, he wanted to knock the gun out of his hand."

"Liam, why didn't you do it yourself? Why didn't you kill him?" she asked. "Especially after all the threats that you've been making for the past year. Why, lad, in the end you even tried to save his soul?"

"Because in the end, I knew that you were right," he replied. "Two wrongs don't make a right. If I had managed to kill him, it was only going to give greater strength to the storm. And who knows? Maybe all the hate and anger I've been carrying around for the last year made it stronger anyway. But it's over now, Syl. The little one is safe. Phoebe is safe. The baby is safe. They're all safe. I've done my bit and I want to go home."

"What do you mean?" asked Sylvia.

"What I mean is that my work out here is done," he said. "I'm going to call Dad and tell him that I'm coming home to settle. I'll meet the Chenoweth girls, but this isn't going to be a beauty contest. I'm going to be looking for the wife of the next _paterfamilias_ of the Figalilly family. My days of wandering are over. It's time for me to be responsible."

Sylvia was silent. This was the last thing that she would have expected.

"What caused this change of heart?" she asked.

"Twas Trelawney Rose of course," he said simply. "I called out to her last night, and she was there. She gave me the strength to change my heart. And that lad Topher is a child of light as well. Together they make a powerful force for the good. The two of them were even more powerful than that storm. It seemed like the storm began to die out once the baby was born, the unicorn was gone, and I let go of my own hate. It lost. The children of light won."

"I understand now," she replied. "When I woke up this morning I thought that it was a dream. She told me last night before we went to sleep that the unicorn was dead and that she helped you to 'not kill' him. But what about Johnny?"

"He was out there with Cholmondeley," he answered with a nod. "Yes, he was out there too. But now he knows the error of his ways, so to speak. He was scared to death when he saw that gun. But he'll be living up to his own duties now. Finally found a little backbone I think. He's going back to the village to tell Grandfather that Trelawney Rose is safe and she needs to stay where she is.

"We're both going to see Auntie later and tell her to shut up about the little one or we'll tell Grandfather about her part in this whole mess. Johnny says that he would never have gone out to find Cholmondeley if it hadn't been for her. Finding Cholmondeley was what brought the bastard here. And now that he's seen what happened, he understands why he should have just let things be. To hell with his mother even. In his heart, he knew that child was never lying. But when all is said and done, it was no one's fault but his own that Cholmondeley was shot dead."

"But what about the police? Won't they find out about why he came here? They must know that he was killed," asked Sylvia. "What happens if they come around here looking for answers? What if they want to go back to the village?"

"We spent hours at the police station early this morning," he replied. "It's a matter of a security guard, hired by the family, shooting and accidentally killing a trespasser on the property. We all told them the same thing. Cholmondeley was angry because Phoebe broke the engagement with Trelawney's help and now she was giving birth to another man's child. No mention of unicorns or premonitions or none of that stuff. The police said that they will try to keep the family business out of it. The only family of our people's that they need to talk to is Cholmondeley's. They don't know yet as far as I know. But no doubt, they'll be finding out soon."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Quick!" she said. "Get out of sight!"

She opened the door to find Prudence and Bernice there. As soon as she told them that the baby girl had come, Prudence was running down the street with Bernice rushing right behind her.

"Well," she said. "Probably they'll be back soon with Catherine and Trelawney Rose. It won't take Prudence long to make a nuisance of herself. Then we can make like you just came in. And try and hold back on some of the worst details as to why you're here from Trelawney Rose."

Liam nodded. "Well, I'm going upstairs to change my clothes and wash up a bit. I hope that that power comes back soon."

"Me too," replied Sylvia. "Me too."

She sat down heavily when he finally went upstairs. She needed to try and sort through this whole thing. At least Johnny wasn't involved. Truth be told, the Figalillys weren't either. They had all just been there. The Figalillys and Trelawneys would all know the full story. She couldn't care less about Cholmondeley's family. No doubt the Everetts would know what happened and Francine and her mother would learn about it in part.

It was a terrible thing that had happened, but in the end, Cholmondeley had made his own choice. Of course, if he had lived, if the security guard had only wounded him, it would have led to many awkward questions about the village and their people. And it would have caught up poor Phoebe and Trelawney in all kinds of sordid gossip. No, she didn't like to see any man die, but perhaps this was the only way.

However, she was now worried about Mike and Topher. If they told their parents the whole thing, then they would have their families to help them. Yes, and hopefully, the angel would help them as well. In time, this would all become a bad memory. But she knew that finally, after years of pain, Trelawney was free of the unicorn forever. No wonder she had been so happy this morning. She looked out the window and saw the two girls skipping back up the street with Catherine and Bernice. Yes, Trelawney might even be able to find joy in life again.

When they came into the house, Sylvia looked at Trelawney and asked, "Guess who's here?"

"Liam!" she replied happily. She went running up the stairs calling his name.

"How did she know?" asked Bernice, looking puzzled.

"Don't even ask her," warned Catherine. "You'll never understand the explanation."

In a minute, Liam came down the stairs carrying Trelawney in his arms. She was hanging onto his neck and cheerfully chattering about Phoebe and Maisie. But suddenly she stopped and looked him in the eyes. He looked quietly back at her and gave a little nod. She jumped down and turned to Prudence.

"Let's go upstairs and get Tessa," she said. "We can play out in the playhouse."

After they went upstairs, Sylvia looked at Liam. She realized that the child had discerned from his mind what had happened. Whatever she had discerned had sobered her up considerably. Catherine looked concerned and Bernice looked confused, but there wasn't much to say at the moment. She decided that it would be easier if they only had to explain it once, when Rob and Tom came back.

**House Rules**

After the two grandmothers and two girls left, Emmeline sat down again and gave a sigh of relief. The Professor gave her a sympathetic look. She was tired, but as usual, she had to be in charge of everything. At this point, he seemed inclined to let her. He was starting to look pretty ragged himself. His initial burst of energy this morning when he woke up was starting to fade. And until they got power, there wouldn't be any coffee.

"It will be easier," he commented. "When we have the telephones working. Then we can make sure that they call before they come over."

"Won't the ringing wake up the baby?" she asked.

"The only phone on the second floor is the one in the master bedroom," he explained. "We can just turn the ringer off. There are two phones on this floor, one in the kitchen and one in the study. If I turn the ringer off on the one in the study, it can still be used for private calls. I can also turn the volume down of the one in the kitchen."

"Good idea," she said thoughtfully. "We do need to control the number of visitors and how long they stay. Phoebe is exhausted."

"I know," he replied. "She really isn't up for any conversation yet. I'm not sure of what to do about Prudence. If she stays in own bedroom tonight we may have very little control over her once we put her to bed. She will probably be relentless in her desire to see Phoebe and Maisie."

"Perhaps she should stay at Rob and Catherine's also," suggested Emmeline. "It would only be for a few days. It will give her a chance to calm down. Maybe she'll begin to understand what it will mean to have a new baby in the house."

"Maybe," said the Professor doubtfully. "In the beginning I suspect that her reaction will be a combination of intense curiosity and a certain amount of jealousy."

"Well that's all the more reason that she should be up the street," replied Emmeline. "They can give her some extra attention when she's not here."

"Good point," said the Professor. "Tell me, when babies are born at home in the village do they have these kinds of problems?"

"Not really," she answered. "Generally speaking, the siblings are born close together. They're too young to realize that there's a new one in the house. And when they are old enough, they expect it. They're also used to big families. Of course there was a very large gap between Phoebe and Trelawney, but Phoebe was so happy to finally have a little sister that there was never any jealousy."

"That makes sense," he said. "Well I'll go up and turn the ringer off on the bedroom phone so that I don't forget."

"Why don't you take a nap as well?" she asked. "I know that you were up very late last night and early this morning."

"Sounds like a good idea," he replied. "I think that you can hold down the fort for a while."

"Of course I can," she said with a smile.

Once he left, she breathed another sigh of relief. Thank goodness! Now when Sylvia and Liam come down, he'll be out of the way. She knew that Liam was presently up the street and that her sister would be sure to bring him down once Trelawney had seen him and made a fuss over him. She only hoped that the little girl would keep her mouth closed about Cholmondeley until they had worked out how they would tell the family.

Early this morning, Sebastian had told her the whole story. It was quite a mess, but it sounded as though none of them was hurt or in trouble. She was very grateful that Rob had hired the security guards who had ultimately ended up doing the dirty work. But it was over. Trelawney and Phoebe were safe and Maisie had made it into the world without any problems.

Maisie was really a beautiful baby. She looked very similar to Trelawney, which was not too surprising. She knew that she had very strong intuitions like her aunt, but would hopefully be sharper mentally. It would be very difficult for Phoebe if she had two such girls to deal with.

She knew why Trelawney wanted to speak with Dad. She had no doubt perceived in the Professor's mind what she herself had discerned. He wanted Trelawney to come home but he was worried about how his mother would react. It was a sensitive situation. Catherine had been there for them when they needed her in January. But with Cholmondeley gone, the nightmares would disappear as well. She would always be odd, but she would be much easier to handle and live with if she wasn't being chased by shadows.

She heard a knock on the door and went to open it. Standing on the steps were Liam and Sylvia.

"Hello there, sis," said Liam. "Long time no see, eh?"

"Long time no see, brother," she replied. "But you don't need to look so apprehensive. Sebastian told me the whole story about what happened in the yard. I won't make you go through it again, but I would like to know what happened at the police station."

"Who the hell is Sebastian?" asked Liam.

"The rooster," she answered with a smile. "Don't you know that Phoebe practically has her own petting zoo back there?"

"First the dog and now the rooster. I've never heard of so many bloody animals with such big mouths!" he retorted. "What kind of a place is this?"

"Well then, Liam," said Sylvia. "At least you don't have to go through the whole song and dance again."

"At least," he said. "Things didn't really go so badly with the coppers. The security guard admitted to the crime up front. We were just witnesses. And Topher and I were almost victims ourselves."

"Well, Trelawney didn't tell me that," she replied. "She just said that the unicorn was dead and you didn't do it."

"That's what she told me," replied Sylvia. "But I guess that she didn't mention to you either that our other atheist found his way back to Jesus. The little one's had a good month for conversions, hasn't she?"

Emmeline and Liam looked at each other.

"So the unicorn is dead," said Emmeline, neatly avoiding the topic. "What about Johnny? Did he faint or anything?"

"No, he looked pretty shaken, but he managed to hold it together in the yard and at the station," he said. "Confused the hell out them trying to explain how many cousins there presently were here and how they were all related. But he did okay. He's even going to help convince Grandfather to leave Trelawney be."

"What about Auntie?" she asked.

"He and I are going to have a little chat with her," Liam replied. "We'll tell her that when we get back to the village that we'll tell Grandfather the whole sordid tale, including the bit where she almost got the little one harmed or worse."

"Nobody mentioned her?" she asked.

"No, not that way. Before the cops came I told them all to leave out any mention of the unicorn," he explained. "Then the cops told us to only answer the questions they asked, no extra information. The lads just talked about wanting to protect the girls from Phoebe's ex-fiancé. They were satisfied with that."

"So the cops never asked about Auntie?" asked Sylvia.

"Why would they?" replied Liam. "Thankfully, they didn't realize that she was related to us. Can't imagine what kind of a dither that that would have thrown them into if they knew that there was another family member in town, especially since she is related to six of us."

"Well, that's good," said Emmeline. "The cops were just finishing up with the investigation when we woke up. Fortunately, nobody in here bothered to look out the window. Catherine noticed when she came down, but she wasn't much interested."

"Yes, I know," said Sylvia. "All that she's interested in is that baby."

"Well, so is everybody else," replied Emmeline. "Prudence burst in before and woke poor Phoebe and Maisie up. She was squealing loud enough to wake the dead when she saw her. (Sorry, Liam, poor choice of words.) As soon as these bloody phones are working again, you folks will need to call before you visit. And then there will only be a few allowed in at a time."

"Taking charge already?" asked Liam with a wink.

"No, it's the Professor's idea, he's tired out too," she said with a huff. "And so is Mrs. Morgan, the nurse. Everyone down here needs rest. No one more so than poor Phoebe."

"Was it a long labor?" asked Liam.

"Long enough," she replied. "It was hot as hell in here because we couldn't open the windows in the storm."

"Well," said Sylvia. "Now that we've seen you, we should be on our way. When do you plan to tell Phoebe that himself (pointing to Liam) is here?"

"When she's stronger," said Emmeline. "It's hard to say what her reaction will be. If she knows that Liam is here, then she will wonder why. And then we will have to tell her about Cholmondeley. She was very upset by what he did to Trelawney. Then she was terrified that he might come back. But she was betrothed to him since birth. It's too hard to say."

"I'll leave it up to you two to decide that," said Liam. "But I do want to see her and the baby before I go home."

"Going home next?" asked Emmeline raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, love," said Sylvia. "The prodigal son is returning. He's turning over a new leaf now that he's found Jesus. He's finally going to settle down and get married like Dad wants."

"You are?" said Emmeline amazed.

"I know that you are going to find this hard to believe," answered Liam. "But a lot of things go running through your mind when you're looking down the barrel of a gun. Out in that storm, I could feel the anger and hatred swirling around me, begging me to make it stronger. But the little one was there with me. She's got a powerful force of goodness within her. Now I just want to go home and be a good son and then a good father. I'll get married and settle down and accept my responsibilities."

"I don't believe it!" exclaimed Emmeline.

"I know it's shocking, but the only thing that had me wandering for the past year was hate for that man and love for that little girl," he said. "She gave me a choice, love or hate. I've got a second chance, thanks to her. And I plan to use it right. If you think about it, the little one has suffered a lot for our family. It's my turn to put others ahead of myself. I owe her that much."

"Our Trelawney Rose is as good as they come," said Sylvia. "The storm couldn't get at Phoebe, and Maisie was born safely because of her. She knew how to set all of the guardians in place. And she did. But Phoebe herself has suffered a lot as well. In a couple of days when she's stronger I know that she'll want to see you. It will do her good to know that you'll be there one day to care for her sister as Dad does."

Liam smiled. Then they heard the baby cry.

"Someone's hungry again," said Emmeline. "We'll see you later then."

Once Liam and Sylvia left, Emmeline went upstairs. She found Phoebe reaching into the cradle for Maisie. Hal was sound asleep beside.

"Do you need any help, love?" she asked.

"No, I can do it myself," she replied.

She gently lifted the child from the cradle, opened the hospital gown, and guided the baby's mouth to her breast. The infant grasped it immediately and began to suck. Emmeline had seen many infants nursing, but she was amazed by how contented both Phoebe and Maisie looked. Despite her weariness, Phoebe was calmer and more at peace than Emmeline had seen her in a long time.

"Well, it looks like your husband can sleep through anything," she commented.

"Hal was up almost all night with the baby and I," Phoebe defended him. "He hasn't had decent sleep in a while."

"True," she replied. "This morning he was up and very awake and happy. Catherine and Trelawney came to visit, but you were asleep so they just peeked in. Trelawney is just thrilled. I haven't seen her so happy since before . . . well, since before."

"I know," said Phoebe softly. "I feel the same way. But I believe that Prudence was also a visitor."

"Ah, yes," she replied. "She was in the house and up the stairs before we could stop her. Poor Bernice chased her down the street. I could hear her squealing from downstairs."

"It was rather piercing in here," said Phoebe. "I'm afraid that Maisie didn't take to it too well, or Mrs. Morgan."

"Mrs. Morgan is exhausted as well," answered Emmeline. "She's still sleeping and I would like to let her sleep as long as she needs to."

"Yes, of course," said Phoebe. "But the family does want to see the baby."

"They can see the baby later or tomorrow," replied Emmeline with her usual practicality. "You need your rest. Hal and I discussed it, and Butch and Prudence will stay with his parents for a couple of days. That will give Prudence, anyway, a chance to calm down and understand what it really means to have a new baby sister in the house. And you know, if you had had a hospital birth, then the children wouldn't have been able to see you until you came home anyway. This way at least they can visit."

"I know that you're right," answered Phoebe. "But I do hate to disappoint her."

"She's waited months for Maisie to come," commented Emmeline. "A couple of more days won't hurt."

Maisie unlatched, but continued to root. Phoebe switched her around to the other side and she began to suck eagerly again. She cuddled her closer and began to stroke her little head.

"Little tyke has a good appetite, doesn't she?" asked Emmeline.

"Yes, she does," said Phoebe softly. "Mummy's little girl wants to grow big and strong."

Maisie reached up and grasped the breast with her hand. Mother and child looked into each other's eyes. Emmeline quietly got up and left them alone. Phoebe was so caught up that she didn't even notice. As Emmeline walked down the steps, the lights flickered on. Thank goodness, she thought as she snapped off the television that they had left on. She stopped for a moment and sat down in the living room.

Liam and Sylvia had a good point, when were they going to tell Phoebe that he was here, or the Professor for that matter? It was like a set of dominos. Once she knew that Liam was in town, she was going to wonder about Cholmondeley. At that point, lying to her was not an option. As for the Professor, should they tell him before her or with her? Most importantly, they did not want to wait too long so that she would find out by accident.

She thought of her father. He was probably the best one to consult on all counts. Even at a distance, he would surely have the knowledge and wisdom to guide them. And, she recalled ruefully, she had not always made the best choices when she had tried to solve problems in the past on her own. She then went into the study to make a phone call home. She certainly had a lot to discuss with Dad.

**Family Time**

By the time that Tom and Rob brought Butch home, the house was very crowded. In addition to Rob, Catherine, and the three children, Liam, Sylvia, Tom and Bernice were there. Prudence and Trelawney were out in the playhouse, playing with their dolls. The structure was so sturdy that it was completely undamaged. Closing the shutters had insured that no rain got in. Butch was very unhappy when he saw the tree house.

"Man," he said. "We worked really hard to build that tree house."

"Well," said Rob. "I can help you build a better one."

Butch grumbled okay and then went up to his room to sulk.

"Not happy to have another sister, is he?" asked Liam.

"No he isn't," replied Rob emphatically.

"Well, I'll have a little chat with him in a bit," he said. "After all, I myself have three to cope with."

Sylvia looked at him doubtfully, but didn't say anything. Rob had a feeling that, like most older brothers, Liam's way of "coping" with his three sisters had been to tease them unmercifully. Then they all breathed a sigh of relief when the lights went back on.

"Well, thank goodness," said Catherine. "I was not looking forward to trying to get dinner ready without any power. And now we can call Ben and Bob."

"Uh, Catherine," said Sylvia tentatively. "Before you talk to Bob, there's something that Liam and I need to tell you."

"Oh," said Catherine. "What is that?"

"It has to do with the security guards that he hired last night," she hedged. The expression on her face was very serious.

When they had all sat down, Sylvia and Liam looked at each other anxiously, while Rob, Catherine, Tom, and Bernice waited patiently. Finally Liam spoke.

"I'll tell it, Syl," he said. "I was the one out there. Rob, Catherine. It's better if you know this before you talk to Bob. I am sure that he must know about it by now."

"Know about what?" asked Catherine.

"Last night," said Liam. "Topher, Mike, and I were in the yard between the Professor's house and Fowler's. We met Cholmondeley out there."

"What were _you_ doing there?" asked Rob.

"We were worried because we suspected that he was there," he replied. "And if he was there, he was there to make trouble."

"What was he doing there?" asked Rob.

"He wanted to get into the house," he said. "And whatever he wanted to do was not good. He came at me with a gun. Topher was right beside me. The man was crazy, but he never got to fire a shot. One of those security guards shot him first. He's dead now. He can't hurt anyone anymore."

The four grandparents looked shocked. It was hard to believe that even as Phoebe was giving birth to a new life, another was ending in the yard next door. Even if the dead man had caused fear and pain for the two Figalilly girls, no one had thought that events would take this turn.

It was also difficult to believe that such a violent crime, accidental or otherwise could happen in this quiet little California suburban neighborhood. Rob thought of the press and what a "juicy" story this make. They were all silent.

"That's why Trelawney is so happy and peaceful," explained Sylvia, after giving them time to digest the news. "It's not just about the baby. She knows that she's finally, once and for all, safe. We've already talked to Emmeline. She knows. Hal and Phoebe don't know and we would like to keep it that way for a while."

"So that is what Trelawney meant when she said that the unicorn was quite defeated earlier today?" asked Catherine.

"Yes," replied Liam. "But we are not sure of exactly what she knows. She knows that he's dead and she knows that I didn't kill him. But she is suspicious of something. The little light went out of her face earlier. She's closing up again."

"Why did the security guard kill him?" asked Rob, more interested in the crime than the child at this point.

"He didn't mean to," answered Liam. "But he could see that he was about to shoot Topher, myself, or both of us. He aimed to knock the gun out of his hand but missed."

"What were you three doing out there?" asked Tom. "Or at least what did you think that you would do if you ran into him?"

"We had just had a visit with Auntie," he explained. "She was spewing forth her usual rubbish and I realized that something was about to happen at the Professor's. We didn't have a plan. We were just going to assess the situation, so to speak, and muddle through from there. So we drove over and there they were, Johnny and Cholmondeley. Out to make trouble according to Johnny."

"So how much trouble are you in?" asked Catherine anxiously.

"None at all," replied Liam. "We were all witnesses, but the fact of the matter is that Cholmondeley was trespassing and he was shot by a security guard who was hired to watch the house. The only reason that we went down to the station was that the weather was too bad for them to take our statements at the crime scene."

"Where are the boys?" asked Rob.

"They went home," he replied. "And I spent the night a Johnny's hotel. He's planning to go home as soon as the police release our passports. They just wanted to make sure that we wouldn't leave the country in case they had any more questions. I want to stick around a little longer to see Phoebe and the baby. Em isn't sure that she should know right away about the unicorn. We don't want anything to spoil her happiness."

"So what does all of this mean for Trelawney?" asked Catherine.

"Well, for one thing it means that she won't have any more nightmares," said Sylvia. "And Auntie is going to have to give up prognosticating doom and gloom for her, especially with regards to Phoebe and the baby. The baby is here safely and everything is back to normal, so to speak."

"Why do you say, so to speak?" asked Tom curiously.

"Well there's a new member in the family," replied Sylvia. "That will shake things up a bit. On a happier note, how did Hal respond to the news that he had a new sister?"

"He's thrilled," said Rob with a smile. "He was very worried last night because of the storm, but he was glad to get our phone call. He is enjoying his program very much, but he is also looking forward to coming home Saturday and seeing the family again. As always, he was worried about his Mom."

"Yes," added Tom. "And I was able to assure him that everything went well."

"We're all glad about that," said Bernice warmly. "But you must be exhausted, Tom. How would you like it if I drove home?"

"Sounds good," he admitted. "I am very tired and am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight."

"Are you sure that you don't want to stay for dinner?" asked Catherine. "And Bernice, you haven't seen the baby yet."

"I can wait a couple of more days," she said. "Maybe we can come down on the weekend when Hal comes home. And by then it sounds as if some of Phoebe's relatives will have left so there won't be such a crowd. I wouldn't want to see her overwhelmed."

"If you like," she replied. "But you're welcome anytime."

"We know that," said Tom. "But like I said before. I am just looking forward to getting home."

"Thank you for all of your help," said Catherine warmly. "Both of you were such a comfort to have around. And I don't know what we would have done with Prudence without you, Bernice. I know that both Hal and Phoebe appreciate it."

"Yes, I know," replied Bernice equally warmly. "But it was no trouble. It's just nice to feel like we're part of the family again."

"Well," said Tom, clearly eager to leave now. "Let's say our goodbyes to the children and be on our way."

Liam went upstairs to hangout with Butch. He had a few things to tell him about dealing with little sisters. Rob was hopeful that they would hit it off so that Butch might stop sulking. Also, the way that he was counting beds Butch and Liam would probably end up as roommates for a couple of nights.

After Tom and Bernice left, Rob called up both Bob and Ben. They were very happy to hear that their new niece had been born safe and sound in spite of the storm. Bob had heard from the security company about the shooting but he told them not to worry. Their lawyers would work out a plea with the DA so that there would not be a trial and hopefully no publicity.

When he got off the phone, he turned around to find Trelawney at his elbow. She was standing beside him with her doll in her arms and looking serious.

"Mr. Everett," she said. "May I please call Pastor Jason now? Mama Kate said that I might when the power returned."

"Of course," he said gently. "Is everything okay?"

She looked at him oddly.

"It is and it isn't," she said. "I would very much like to speak with him."

"Yes, I understand," he replied. "Whenever he can see you, I will drive you over."

"Thank you very much, sir," she said.

Rob walked into the kitchen and saw Catherine and Sylvia preparing dinner. Prudence was theoretically helping, but she seemed to actually be underfoot. No doubt this was because Trelawney had left her to make her call.

"Trelawney is calling Pastor Jason," he said.

"Good," replied Catherine. "Liam was right. Something is still going on with her. Hopefully he can help her."

"I told her that I would drive her over whenever he could see her," he commented.

"That's fine," she said. "I can always hold dinner for you both."

"When do I get to see Mommy and the baby?" asked Prudence.

"I will call Emmeline when Trelawney gets off the phone," she replied. "We have to go down to get some of your overnight things anyway. Perhaps we can get the timing right and you can see them then."

"I promise to be very quiet," she said. "And not disturb them."

"We know," answered Catherine. "But if they are sleeping it won't do you much good will it? I am sure that the baby is waking up every few hours to nurse."

"Mr. Everett?" asked Trelawney, as she came walking into the room. "May you please drive me to see Pastor Jason?"

"Yes of course, dear," he said. "Now?"

"Yes, please."

Sylvia walked over to her, held her by and the shoulders and looked into her eyes.

"Is everything all right, little one?" she asked gently.

Rob watched as Trelawney looked back at her. After a moment, Sylvia put her arms around her and patted her back. The little girl hugged her tight and then turned away and looked at him. Without a word she went out to the car. Rob looked at Sylvia.

"Is everything okay?" he asked with concern.

"It will be," she said. "She is confused about some things. Pastor Jason will help her."

"Where did the new doll in the dollhouse come from?" asked Prudence suddenly.

"It was a gift from her Auntie Anna," replied Sylvia.

"Oh," said Prudence. "I asked her if I could play with her and she said 'no.' She said that the doll was for Maisie."

Rob and Catherine looked at Sylvia with a bit of their own confusion. Sylvia seemed to be thinking.

"I brought the doll from London at my Mum's request," she said carefully. "However, it was because Auntie Meg left a letter with very specific instructions. Prudence, you need to remember that the there are reasons why the dollhouse is very special to Trelawney. Even I cannot play with her."

"Oh," said Prudence. "I thought that it was because she was afraid that I would break something."

"No," replied Sylvia. "You know how Trelawney is about her things. She's private. You just need to let her be sometimes."

"Okay," said Prudence.

Rob went out to the car where Trelawney was waiting. She was sitting quietly with her doll, Tessa, on her lap. It seemed odd to Rob that she had her because he had never seen her take her out of the house before to go anywhere other than her sister's house. She really did seem to have closed up inside of herself about something. He hoped that Pastor Jason could help her before she saw Phoebe again.

**Epilogue**

Pastor Jason was not surprised when Trelawney called asking to speak with him immediately. He had already spent several hours with Topher and Mike, reviewing with them the terrible scene that they had witnessed. They needed to talk, but most importantly they needed to talk with someone who was not going to judge or lecture them for taking such a great risk by walking unknowingly into a very dangerous situation. They had taken that great risk for their love of a little girl who needed them. Because of the admonishments of Liam, they could not tell their parents the worst of it.

First it was Topher who had declared that he wanted to talk to him. Janet, being Janet, was still so upset with him that she was only too happy to let Topher come over. Jason knew that she blamed him for encouraging her son to follow his "better angels" so to speak. She was just as happy to get him out of the house so that she could have a chance to cool off.

On his way over, he picked up Mike. Lois was less angry and more concerned about her son. She also was only too happy to let him go along with Topher if they thought that it could help them both. Lois knew that whatever he had seen had disturbed him deeply. He needed to figure out how to make peace with it.

Jason knew that he needed to have the boys talk about the most traumatic part of the experience, seeing the unicorn bleed to death before their eyes. Enemy or friend, it didn't matter, watching another human being die is a horrendous sight. In this case, the violence of the crime made it all the more horrible. Neither of them had thought, when they went out to protect Trelawney that anyone was going to die. Of course neither of them had given any thought to what they would do if they came face to face with the unicorn.

Jason was regretful that they had been drawn into the whole mess, but without them, Liam would never have learned what he needed to make the girls finally safe. Having them talk the whole matter through with him had begun the very necessary healing process. They would both also need to talk to Trelawney, but neither of them was ready for that yet. Nor was she.

Trelawney entered his office quietly with Rob. She sat herself down in front of his desk with her doll on her lap. Rob looked at her for a second as if he wanted to say thing but then changed his mind and withdrew to the waiting area. He closed the door behind him.

"What can I do for you tonight?" asked Pastor Jason kindly.

"I don't know if you can do anything for me," she replied seriously. "I don't know if anyone can."

"That sounds serious," he said. "Why did you want to talk to me?"

"I am concerned," she said. "I am afraid that I killed the unicorn."

"Why do you think that you killed him?" he asked gently.

"If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't be dead," she said simply. She then bowed her head and clutched her doll tightly.

Jason looked at her with great sympathy. Poor little girl, she is finally set free from the evil that has been pursuing her for years and she takes the blame upon herself for the death of a man who committed a reprehensible crime. Not to mention the fact that if he hadn't been stopped, he would have committed more.

"Trelawney," he said. "I have just spent the afternoon talking with Mike and Topher about what happened out there. Both of them saw him get shot. Topher and Liam both tried to convince him to come back to the light. But he couldn't do it. Whatever had grabbed hold of him was holding him too tightly. It wouldn't let go. The situation was such that if the security guard had not shot him, he would have shot either Topher or Liam. He might have even gotten into the house. You wouldn't have wanted that now, would you?"

"Oh no!" she cried. "Of course not! But if it weren't for me then none of them would have even been out there! Why did it have to happen this way? I . . . I didn't really realize what happened until I saw Liam. He didn't tell me. I saw it in his mind. I saw the unicorn bloody and lying on the ground. It was all because of me! Why, Pastor Jason? Why?"

"You know better than to ask that question, little one," he replied. "No one ever knows the ways of God. And in a case like last night, you must remember that every person has free will. God did not want the unicorn dead. God offered him, through both Liam and Topher, the chance to surrender his horn and become like all the others. But he couldn't."

"Why not?" Trelawney asked.

"I do not have the answer to that question," he replied. "It is not allowed."

She looked back at him regretfully.

"Last night you played a very important role in making sure that the world was safe for Maisie to enter, and you know that," he explained. "I know that when you learned that the unicorn was defeated that you were happy."

"Yes," she said slowly. "Liam asked me to help him not kill him. He asked me to help him turn towards the light. So I did. I wanted him to come to the light. Why couldn't the unicorn die and let Cholmondeley come to the light? Topher helped too. He came forward. I know he did. Topher is a child of light too."

"Yes, he is," replied Jason softly. "But he doesn't know it. It is very unusual for one such as him to be a child light. But he is. He is going to be a very strong man someday. He has many gifts and a heart large enough to share them with all who needs them. Last night, he stood up to the darkness in the best way possible. He tried to snatch away a soul that it had grabbed. He wanted to bring that soul back to the light, to save him for God. But he couldn't. And neither could you. When human beings with free will are involved, nothing is ever certain. The light will not always defeat the darkness."

"Oh," said the child.

"You must remember, Trelawney Rose," he said. "That the children of light will always battle the forces of darkness, small and large. You must realize something else as well. Your Aunt's premonition did come true, even though most people will never know it. In the case of the unicorn, the darkness defeated the light. But no one can know that, except those who understand. There are very few can. You can never mention this to anyone. It is important to remember that the light cannot always win and will never win definitively. That is why we need the children of light."

"Yes," she said, now nodding in understanding. "I have much work to do."

"And remember," he said. "It is not bad for you to feel relief that this struggle in your life is over. You have played your role well in helping to bring another child of light into the world. I know that you will never rejoice in the death of another, but in a very real sense, Cholmondeley was also set free. We will never know that perhaps it was his choice to end his life as he did."

"I suppose that you are right," she said slowly. "I guess that he will have to live many more lives to expiate what he has done."

"Only God has the answer to that, little one," he replied with a touch of sternness in his voice. "It is important to remember never to speculate about the workings of the mind of

God."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "I forgot."

"I know," he said with a smile. "Now ask me your other question."

"Pastor Jason, when may I return home to my Phoebe?" she said quietly. "The Professor wants me to come home, and so do Phoebe and Maisie."

"I know, Trelawney Rose," he said gently. "But the time is not right."

"When will the time be right?"

"You will know, little one. I promise you, you will know."

Trelawney nodded and knelt before him for a blessing. In her simplicity, she knew that she could only accept God's will and do it. When she lifted up her face, he saw the tears in her eyes. It was difficult to tell if they were for the past, the present, or the future. He took her face between his hands and willed the peace and strength of God into her little soul.

As she stood up and walked towards the door, turned around and looked at him one last time. Her aura glowed a deep, rich violet and the silver stars twinkled in it for a second. She smiled and walked out so that Rob could take her home. Jason smiled. This gentle soul was on her final journey home. And all those who met her along the way and appreciated her beauty for what it was, would be blessed.

**The End**


End file.
